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Microcastles: Deerhunter gets a little less Cryptic
10/12/2008 In trying to uncode the secret message behind Deerhunter's 2007 release Cryptograms, Pitchforkmedia's Marc Hogan posited that perhaps, like Ace of Base and the Police before them, Deerhunter are a pop band. At the time, the tag seemed ill-suited to a band that dedicated half of its album to brain-melting ambient noise. However, considering the sound on their new release Microcastle (to be released by Kranky in the U.S. October 28 and already available on iTunes), which is more rhythmic and melodious than Cryptograms' offerings, it may be time to take Hogan's suggestion seriously. On their latest effort, Deerhunter sounds tighter, more focused and, yes, more strongly rooted in a pop sensibility, however weird it may be. Staying true to their shoe-gazey, dream-poppy ways, Deerhunter nevertheless manages to refine their sound by delivering a smattering of up-tempo tracks and lyrics the listener can discern from the walls of sound that have become a signature part of the band's style. Frontman Bradford Cox may be largely to thank for Deerhunter's newfound sonic finesse. His voice, mixed more clearly and prominently into the songs, lends a greater sense of purpose and meaning to this album than their previous LP. Cox demonstrates in the album opener that he hasn't lost his predilection for using his voice as an instrument. "Cover Me (Slowly)," to which Cox contributes only wordless tones, is the only track strongly reminiscent of Cryptograms' spacey instrumental first half. "Agoraphobia" follows with some of the most straightforward lines Cox has penned. "Feed me twice a day," he intones, "I want to fade away/ Come for me, cover me," capturing both the isolation and the sense of comfort experienced by sufferers of an anxiety disorder so severe it sometimes confines people to their homes. "Never Stops" (originally titled "Winter Never Stops") is one of the standout tracks on the album. Guitarist Lockett Pundt delivers clean, "Every Breath You Take" redenition-esque guitar, while drummer Moses Archuleta keeps the song clipping along during the verses and washes the chorus in cymbals. "Little Kids," kicks off the mid-section of the album with a 60's psych pop groove, building like a wave and then breaking. Cox's voice and Pundt's guitar dissipate into the following tracks, all brief and sparsely narrated, like "Calvary Scars," which offers only the spooky words, "Crucified on a cross/in front of all my closest friends" against the background of lullaby acoustic guitar and electronic clicking. The rhythm section jerks the album out of its sleepy furrow with the intro to "Nothing Ever Happened," the lead single from Microcastle and one of the album's strongest tracks. Next is "Saved By Old Times," another meaty number in which Cox croons, almost cheekily, about Victorian vampires. The record closes with "Twilight at Carbon Lake," a reverb-doused song full of references to water. Bradford Cox has claimed that he considers Deerhunter's records not as a series of songs stuck together in the most pleasing order but as whole albums. To this Deerhunter has stayed true. The band has synthesized their influences – My Bloody Valentine comes to mind, as does Sonic Youth – into a sound all its own and constructed a complete, dynamic album. The downside to this holistic approach is that weaker tracks, such as some of those present in the down-beat middle section of the record, are included in the album. "Green Jacket" is two minutes of the same four notes repeated on a piano as Cox delivers uninspired lyrics slower than molasses being poured from a jar. The following track, "Activa," is similar, but the piano is replaced by acoustic guitar, and the song is redeemed slightly by the presence of chimes and sound effects that could have been lifted from the Silent Hill video game series. However, it seems that Deerhunter are working out the kinks as they go along, and if Microcastle is any indication, Deerhunter is a band that's becoming more confident, more focused and improving with every release. Comments [post a comment]
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Saturday, July 04, 2009
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